Nickname:In 1900 a red color scheme was unvieled, a woman in the stands observed, "Oh, what
a lovely shade of Cardinal." The team owner just happend to be nearby and heard
this and spread the statement around to many other observers.

1892: With the folding of the American Association the St. Louis Brown Stockings are among
four teams that are accepted into the National League. In their first season
in the NL the Brown Stockings struggle to finish with a 56-94 total record in
a split season, one matter of note they hosted the first Sunday game on April
17th, losing to the Cincinnati Reds 5-1.1893: In their second season the Brown Stockings settle on just one manager but continue
to struggle finishing in 10th place with a 57-75 record.1894: The Brown Stockings continue to struggle finishing in ninth place with a terrible
record of 56-76.1895: The Brown Stockings continue to struggle as they go through four managers on the
way to finishing in 11th place with an awful 39-92 record.1896: The Brown Stockings struggles continue as they finish in 11th place with an awful
record of 40-90.1897: The Brow Stockings suffer an embarrassing season with a 23-102 record, the team would
not only finish in last, but more then 20 games worse then the 11th place
Louisville Colonels.1898: Owner Chris Von der Ahe and his corporation declare bankruptcy, as the Brown Stockings
struggle again this time with a 39-111 record. 1899: With the National League planning on cutting down to eight teams following the season,
the team from St. Louis is one of the candidates to be bounced, that is until
Frank and Stanley Robison, who ran a fairly successful team in the Cleveland
Spiders decided to step in and take over team the team. The Robisons took many
of their stars including Cy Young from Cleveland with them letting the Spiders
rot to a worst ever 20-134 record, before folding. The Robisons would also change
the St. Louis teams name to Perfectos. The Perfectos would show immense improvement
finishing in 5th place with a record of 84-67. They also changed the
team's color to red, sportswriter Willie McHale, of the St. Louis Republic, heard
a lady fan remark, "What a lovely shade of cardinal," the new nickname was
used in his column, and struck a chord with St. Louis fans, and the team adopted
it as the official nickname the following season.1900: The Cardinals begin the 20th Century on a disappointing note falling to fifth place
with a record of 65-75. 1901: The Cardinals rebound off a disappointing season to post their secondnd winning season
in as many years with a 76-64 record good enough for fourth place.1902: The Cardinals get company in St. Louis when the American League relocates a team
to the gateway city. The team would even take the discarded name of the Browns.1903: The Cards stumble to a last place finish with a woeful 43-94 record.

1904: The Cardinals would struggle to finish in fifth place with a record of 75-79.1905: The Cardinals struggles continue as they finish in sixth place with a dreadful 58-96
record.1906: The Cardinals have another dreadful season as they narrowly avoid 100 losses by finishing
in seventh place with a record of 52-98.1907: The Cardinals continue to struggle falling into last place with a miserable record
of 52-101 record.
1908: The Cardinals long a National League whipping boy finish in last again with a 49-105
record, though the team would not improve for a few more years it would be
the last 100-loss season for the franchise in the 20th Century.

1909: The Cardinals narrowly avoid their third straight 100-loss season placing seventh
with a terrible 54-98 record.1910: The Cardinals struggles continue as they finish in seventh place with a miserable
63-90 record.

1911: After nine straight losing seasons the Cardinals finally post a winning record finishing
in fifth place with a record of 75-74.1912: The Cardinals plunge back into sixth place posting a disappointing record of 63-99.
1913: The ownership of the club passed to Robison's daughter, Helene Hathaway Britton.
Mrs. Britton bought out Manager Roger Bresnahan's contract and hired Miller Huggins.
However in Huggins first season the Cards do not fair any better finish dead
last with a 51-99 record. 1914: In Miller Huggins' second year, the Cardinals finished the season in third place
with an 81-72 record. It was something of a sensation because it was the best season
for the franchise since joining the National League.1915: The Cardinals are not able to build of their third place finish and fall back to
sixth Place with a 72-81 record.1916: After another terrible 60-93 season the Cardinals are sold by Helene Hathaway Britton
to her attorney, James C. Jones, and stockholders, including a St. Louis automobile
dealer named Sam Breadon. 1917: The fan-controlled club needed a baseball man to run it. They found one in Branch
Rickey, then business manager of the American League St. Louis Browns. Rickey
was named president; however the club continued to struggle financially. However,
the Cards show some promise placing third with a solid 82-70 record.

1918: With the departure of Manage Miller Huggins to the New York Yankees the Cardinals
fall back into last place with a 54-83 record.1919: The Cardinals struggles continue as they finish in sixth place with a woeful record
of 54-83.1920: Sam Breadon became president and majority stockholder of the Cardinals, and Branch
Rickey moved to Vice President and General Manager. One of Breadon's first moves
was to sell Robison Field and become tenants at Sportsman's Park. Branch Rickey
would use proceeds from the sale of the ballpark to invest in the first Cardinals
farm club affiliation at Houston, TX, a move that would single a new strategy
in running the franchise.1921: The Cardinals put together their finest season to date placing third with a solid
87-66 record, coming within seven games of first place.

1922: Rogers Hornsby wins the Triple Crown with 42 home runs , 152 RBI and a .401 average,
as the Cards finish in third Place again with a solid 85-69 record. 1923: The Cardinals take a step backwards finishing in fifth place with a disappointing
record of 79-74.1924: Rogers Hornsby wins the batting title with a .424 average, the highest mark in the
National League during the 20th century. However the Cards would struggle to
finish in sixth place with a disappointing 65-89 record.1925: Rogers Hornsby wins his second Triple Crown in four years with 39 home runs, 143
RBI and a .403 average. On Memorial Day, Hornsby was named manager of the club,
succeeding Branch Rickey, who became strictly a front office man. The Cards would
go on to finish with a 77-76 record only good enough for fourth Place. Rickey
had begun building a reputation for an excellent eye for raw talent and thrifty
dealings. The Cardinals had six farm teams in 1925, and that number increased
over the next few years to help fuel their growing success story.1926: Led by NL MVP Bob O'Farrell the Cardinals win their first ever National League Pennant
with an 89-65 record edging out the Cincinnati Reds by 2 games. The team
led the NL in eight offensive categories. Their 90 home runs led the league, while
their 82 triples placed them second. They were not caught stealing once (83
SB). In their first World Series appearance, the Cardinals faced the New York
Yankees. After taking a 2-1 series lead behind the stellar pitching of Jessie Haines.
However, the Yanks would bounce back to take the next two games in Sportsmen's
Park behind the bat of Babe Ruth who belted three homers in Game 4. The
Cardinals were faced with a do or die situation heading back to the Bronx for Game
6. With their backs to the wall the Cards sent Grover Cleveland Alexander out
to the mound and he came trough retiring the last 21 Yankees in a 10-2 victory.
Alexander was then called upon again in Game 7 to protect a 3-2 lead in the
seventh Inning with bases loaded. Alexander would strike out Tony Lazzeri to end
the 7th, and after retiring the Yanks in order in the eighth. After setting
down the first two Yanks in the ninth Alexander walked Babe Ruth, and put the tying
run on first. However, Ruth, who had stolen second base in Game 6 tried to
steal again. Catcher Bob O'Farrell's throw to Rogers Hornsby nailed the Yankees'
slugger and ended the fall classic, and gave St. Louis its first World Championship.1927: The Cardinals follow up their Championship with another solid 92-61 season, but fall
one and a half games short of a return trip to the World Series.1928: The Cardinals win the pennant with a 95-59 record, behind MVP Jim Bottomley's 93
extra base hits and a pitching staff that completed 83 games. However, in a World
Series rematch with the New York Yankees, the Cards are swept in four games.
1929: The Cardinals suffer through a mediocre 78-74 season and finish in fourth Place,
20 games out of first place.1930: On September 28th, the last game of the season, 19-year-old Jay Hanna "Dizzy" Dean
made his big league debut, pitching a complete game three hitter in a Cardinals
win. The Cardinals won the Natioanl League pennant a day earlier and finish
with a 92-62 record, to narrowly edge out Chicago Cubs by two games. In the World
Series the Red Birds were matched up against the Philadelphia Athletics. After
losing the first two games in Philly the series shifts to St. Louis where Bill
Hallahan pitches a 5-0 shutout. Jesse Haines would follow up with a 3-1 in the
Game 4 to even the series. However, the A's would win the next two games to
win the World Series in six games.1931: Led by MVP 2B Frankie Frisch the Cardinals repeat as National League Champions with
a 101-53 record. In the World Series the Cardinals find themselves in a rematch
with Philadelphia Athletics. This time it was the Cardinals who took advantage
of the first two games at home by getting of to a 2-0 series lead. After the
A's won the next two games in Philadelphia, the Cardinals turned to Bill Hallahan
who shut down the A's 5-1. However the A's would bounce back in Game 6 at
Sportsman's Park to even the series and force a decisive seventh Game. In Game
7 the Cards jump out to a 4-0 lead and hold to a 4-2 series win thanks to a superb
relief outing by Hallahan. The series' hitting star was Cards Rookie OF Pepper
Martin who batted .500 with five RBI and five runs scored.1932: The Cardinals follow up their second World Championship with a very disappointing
72-82 season which saw them finish tied for sixth Place. The bright spot of the
season was an 18-win season from Dizzy Dean in his first full season in Majors.1933: The Cardinals rebound nicely and finish with an 82-71 record. However the Cards still
land in fifth Place, nine and half games out of first place.1934: A team dubbed the "Gas House Gang" for their rough style of play wins the National
League pennant on the final day of the season with a 95-58 record. Prior to the
season Dizzy Dean predicted 45 wins between himself and his brother, Paul, a
rookie. Dizzy won 30, and the National League MVP, while his brother won 19, for
a total of 49. In the World Series the Cardinals face the Detroit Tigers. The
series and was tied a three games apiece heading into a decisive Game 7. In the
seventh game won by the Cardinals 11-0, a brawl erupted when Joe Medwick slid
hard into third Base with the game out of reach 9-0. Detroit fans would begin
throwing anything and everything at Medwick, which forced Commissioner Kennesaw
Landis to order umpires to eject Joe Medwick from the game for his own safety
and to halt the disturbance. Dizzy Dean who won his second series game in that
seventh game to equal the effort of his brother Paul.1935: The Cardinals follow up their rough and tumble Championship with another solid 96-58
season. However, they are edged out by four games by the Chicago Cubs for the
National League Pennant.1936: The Cardinals are in the thick of the National League Pennant Race again but fall
five games short with an 87-67 record.1937: Joe Medwick wins the Triple Crown, and the NL MVP with 31 homers, 154 RBI and a .374
average; it would be the last National League Triple Crown in the 20th Century.
However, the Cardinals only manage to finish in fourth Place with an 83-71
record.1938: The Cardinals fall to sixth place struggle all season to post a record of 71-80.1939: After a disappointing season the Cardinals rebound to a second place 92-61 season,
and miss the National League Pennant by a mere four and half games.1940: After years of wrangling, the Browns and the Cardinals finally agreed to split the
$150,000 cost of installing lights at Sportsman's Park. The Browns were given
the honor of hosting the first night game in St. Louis on May 24th. The Cardinals
first night game was on June 4th. Joe Medwick went 5-for-5, but the Brooklyn
Dodgers trounced the Red Birds 10-1. The Cards would go on to finish in third
Place with an 84-69 record, as Johnny Mize belted 43 home runs.1941: The Cardinals battle the Brooklyn Dodgers down to the final week of the season but
their 97-56 record leaves them two and half games short of the National League
Pennant.1942: Winning 43 out of their last 51 games, the Cardinals erased a ten and a half game
deficit and passed Brooklyn Dodgers on September 13th on their way to a National
League Pennant with a 106-48 record to edge the Dodgers by two games. In the
World Series the Cardinals lost the first game to the New York Yankees 7-3, then
roared back to win four straight games. In the fifth game finale at Yankee Stadium
3B Whitey Kurowski belted a two-run, ninth inning homer to clinch the crown.
1943: National League MVP Musial led the league in batting average (.357); hits (220);
doubles (48); triples (20); total bases (347); on-base average (.425); and slugging
percentage (.562). The Cardinals would go on to win their second straight
NL Pennant with a 105-49 record. The Cardinals face the New York Yankees for the
second straight season in the Fall Classic, and like the year before lose the
opener and win the second game. However, the Yankees would win the next three
games in St. Louis to take the series in five games.
1944: Led by Short Stop Marty Marion who wins the National League MVP the Cards win their
third straight National League Championship with a 105-49 record. The Cardinals
World Series opponent would be their Sportsmen's Park landlord St. Louis Browns,
who won their first and only American League Pennant. The series was dubbed
the "Streetcar Series", because of the mode of travel used to get to games.
The Browns would take two of the first three games. However, stellar pitching by
Harry Brecheen, turned the series around after Brecheen's Game 4 performance
Mort Cooper helped the Cards take a series lead, which set them up for the kill
in Game 6, as Cardinals win their second World Series in three years. The two
teams combined to strike out six-game Series-record 92 batters, 49 by Cardinal
pitchers and 43 by Browns hurlers.1945: The Cardinals quest for a fourth straight National League Pennant falls three games
short as the Chicago Cubs beat out the Cards who finish with another solid 95-59
record. 1946: The Cardinals and Brooklyn Dodgers finished the regular season in a tie for first
in the National League with a 96-58 record, the first time that occurred in the
major leagues. The Cardinals would take the first two games of a three game series
with the Dodgers to decide the National League Championship. The Cardinals
would go on to take on the Boston red Sox in a classic seven game World Series.
With the score tied at three in the eighth Inning of Game 7 Enos Slaughter singled,
then scored all the way from first on Harry Walker's double to short left-center.
Slaughter's "Mad Dash" surprised Red Sox relay man Johnny Pesky, whose
momentary hesitation allowed Slaughter to score the winning run. Harry Brecheen
who was the victor in the decisive seventh game won three games during the
Fall Classic. 1947: After a second Place 89-65 season, owner Sam Breadon, with his health failing, sold
the Cardinals Robert E. Hannegan, who was then Postmaster General of the United
States and Fred Saigh.1948: Stan Musial won his third National League MVP award while leading the league in nearly
every batting department - average (.376); runs (135); hits (230); total
bases (429); doubles (46); triples (18); runs batted in (131); and slugging percentage
(.702). However, the Cardinals finish six and half games behind the Boston
Braves with an 85-69 record.1949: The Cardinals battle the Brooklyn Dodgers until the final day of the season but fall
one game shot of the National League Championship with a 96-58 record. Following
the season Fred Saigh buys out Robert E. Hannegan to become sole owner of
the Cardinals.1950: The Cardinals play mediocre baseball all season finishing in fifth place with a disappointing
record of 78-75.1951: The Cardinals rebound climbing back up to third place posting a respectable record
of 81-73.1952: Fred Saigh announced his intentions to sell the Cardinals and the highest bidders
looked to move the team out of St. Louis. However the Cards ignore the rumors
and finish with a solid third place 88-66 record. Just before the team was sold
and moved Anheuser-Busch, Inc., led by its president, August A. Busch Jr., stepped
in and purchased the club to keep in the Gateway City.1953: Shortly after the sale was completed Bill Veeck sold Sportsman's Park to the Cardinals.
Following the season the Browns would move to Baltimore leaving the St.
Louis to the more successful Cardinals. In the final season the Cards shared Sportsman's
Park the team finishes in third place with a decent 83-71 record.1954: Now the sole tenant of Sportsman's Park, the stadium is renovated and renamed Busch
Stadium. However, the Cardinals would suffer a disappointing 72-82 season, which
saw them finish in 6th Place.1955: The Cardinals continue to fall in the standings landing in seventh place with a record
of 68-86.1956: In a controversial move the Cardinals take the twin cardinals on the ends of the
bat off their uniforms. The uniform would now feature just the team name and an
underscore. Playing without the famous Cardinals on their chest the team would
finish in fourth place with a record of 76-78.1957: Stan Musial established an National League endurance record by extending his streak
of consecutive games played to 895 before being forced to the bench by injury.
The mishap occurred at Philadelphia on August 22nd, when he tore a muscle and
chipped a bone in his shoulder blade as he swung at and missed a high, outside
pitch. However he would still win the batting title with a .351 average, as the
Cards finished in 2nd Place with an 87-67 record.1958: Stan Musial, pinch-hitting in the sixth inning, doubled against the Chicago Cubs
at Wrigley Field on May 13th to collects his 3,000th career hit. The Cardinals
who returned the Classic look to their jerseys would go on to finish with a fifth
Palace 72-82 record.1960: The Cardinals finish a solid third place with an 86-68 record, finishing just nine
games out of first.1961: Johnny Keane takes over as manager after the Cardinals get off to a disappointing
33-41 start. Under Keane the Cards would click and finish in strong fashion posting
a record of 80-74.1962: Stan Musial, nearing his 42nd birthday, made a bid for his eighth batting title by
hitting .330, but Tommy Davis of the Los Angeles Dodgers won the crown with a
.346 mark. The Cardinals would go on to finish in sixth place with an 84-78 record.1963: Stan Musial, who won seven National League Batting Crowns in his 22-year career with
the Cardinals and had a lifetime average of .331, announces his retirement.
Musial ever the consistent player collected 3,630 career hits with an equal number
1,815 on the road and at home. His famous #6 became the first Cardinal number
to be retired on September 29th. The Cards would go on to finish in second
Place with a 93-69 record, just six games out of first.1964: For the first two and half months of the season the Cardinals struggled mightily
and sat in seventh place. On June 15th the Cardinals would acquire OF Lou Brock
from the Chicago Cubs. In 103 games with the Cards he scored 81 runs, helping
to catapult the team from, and into the Pennant Race. The Cardinals would then
benefit from a Philadelphia Phillies collapse, by clinching the National League
Championship on the last day of the season with a 93-69 record. Cardinals 3B Ken
Boyer would go on to earn MVP honors. In the World Series the Cardinals were
matched up against the New York Yankees. The tow teams would split the first two
games. In Game 4 the Cards and Yanks battle into extra innings at Yankee Stadium.
In the top of the tenth Catcher Tim McCarver belts a three run homer to help
Bob Gibson who pitched all ten innings get his first World Series complete
game win. After the Yankees won Game 6, Gibson came back to pitch on two days rest
to win Game 7, and give the Cardinals their seventh World Series Championship.1965: The Cardinals struggle coming off their World Championship, and finish a disappointing
seventh Place with an 80-81 record.1966: The Cardinals closed old Busch Stadium (formerly known as Sportsman's Park) on May
8 with a 10-5 loss to the San Francisco Giants. On May 12th, they opened new
Busch Stadium in downtown St. Louis by defeating the Atlanta Braves, 4-3, in 12
innings. Lou Brock singled with the bases loaded, driving in Curt Flood with the
winning run. New Busch Stadium would also host that year's All-Star Game. The
Cardinals would go to finish their first year in their new nest with an 83-79
record finishing in sixth Place.1967: Despite losing ace pitcher Bob Gibson for a long stretch with a broken leg the Cardinals
win the National League Pennant by ten and a half games with a 101-60 record.
Dominating play by Latin stars Julian Javier and National League MVP Orlando
Cepeda fueled the Cards pennant run. In the World Series the Cardinals would
be matched up against the Boston Red Sox. By the time the series rolled around
Bob Gibson had returned, and got the Cards off to a fast start wining Game 1
at Fenway Park. The Cardinals would jump out to a 3-1 lead as Gibson dominated
the Sox again in Game 4. However, the Red Sox would battle back and would force
a decisive seventh Game at historic Fenway Park. The Cards would turn to Gibson
once again who out pitched Jim Lonborg to win his third game of the series to
give the Cards another World Championship.1968: In one of the most dominant season ever by a pitcher, Bob Gibson had a 22-9 record,
which included a 15-game winning streak. Gibson would also hurl 13 shutouts,
and allowed only 38 earned runs in 304 innings for a 1.12 ERA, the best since
the dead ball era. Gibson would earn both the Cy Young and MVP as the Cardinals
flew to the top of the National League again with a 97-65 record. Gibson's dominance
would continue into the World Series as he struck a World Series record
17 Detroit Tigers in Game 1 of the Fall Classic. The Cardinals would once again
race out to a 3-1 series lead as Gibson won his seventh straight series start
in Game 4. However, the Tigers would battle back and force a seventh game. This
time Gibson would not be able to bring it home as Curt Flood misplayed a fly ball
into a triple allowing the Tigers to score the series winning runs. Gibson
would still go on to set a series record with 35 strikeouts.1969: On September 15th against the New York Mets, Steve Carlton struck out 19 batters,
a major league record at the time. However, he lost the game, 4-3, as Ron Swoboda
hit a pair of two-run homers. Carlton struck out at least one man in every
inning and fanned the side in four different frames. The loss to the Mets would
be symbolic of the Cardinals season as the Cards finished fourth in the first
year of divisional play with an 87-75 record, finishing 13 games behind the surprising
Mets. 1970: Following the 1969 season the Cardinals find themselves in the middle of a controversy
after trading Outfielder Curt Flood to the Philadelphia Phillies. Flood,
would refuse to go leading to a court battle that would make its way to the Supreme
Court, to challenge baseball's reserve clause. Although Flood did not win
his case it set the stage for Free Agency. Dick Allen who the Cards received in
the trade was also not happy, upset that the Cardinals recently installed Artificial
Turf. Allen would remark, "If a horse can't eat it I don't want to play
in it." The Cards would struggle among out the turbulence and finish in fourth
Place with a 76-86 record.1971: Joe Torre won the National League batting title with a .363 average and was named
MVP, as the Cardinals finished in second Place with a 90-72 record. Also enjoying
individual success was Lou Brock, who became the first major league player
to steal 50 or more bases in seven consecutive years.1972: The Cardinals would play mediocre baseball all season finishing in fourth place with
a disappointing record of 75-81.1973: Lou Brock stole his 600th base, moving into ninth place on the all-time list, and
extending his major league record for most consecutive seasons with 50 or more
steals to nine. Meanwhile, Joe Torre collected his 2,000th hit and 1,000th RB.
Amidst all the individual milestones the Cardinals finish in seconnd Place a game
and half out of first with an 81-81 record in a mediocre NL East. 1974: Lou Brock steals 118 bases to break Maury Wills' single-season mark, moves from ninth
to third on the all-time career stolen base list. Meanwhile, Bob Gibson strikes
out the 3,000th batter of his career to become only the second pitcher in
baseball history to reach that figure. The Cards would fall a game and a half
short of the division title with a solid 86-75 record. The Cardinals also played
in the longest night game in major league history and the longest game ever played
to conclusion, beating the New York Mets in 25 innings as Bake McBride scores
from first on two errors.1975: Bob Gibson retires after a 17-year Cardinal career and 251 victories. A standing-room
crowd would honor Gibby on Bob Gibson Day. The Cards would finish tied for
third place with an 82-80 record.1977: Lou Brock breaks Ty Cobb's 20th Century career stolen base mark with number 893 in
San Diego, August 29th. The Cards would finish the season in third place with
an 83-79 record.1978: The Cardinals struggle all season finishing in fifth place with a terrible record
of 69-93.1979: In his final season Lou Brock collected his 3000th career hit against the Cubs on
August 13 at Busch Stadium. On September 23rd, Brock stole his 938th base making
him baseball's all-time stolen base leader surpassing William Hamilton. Keith
Hernandez wins batting title with .344 average and is co-winner of National League
MVP award with Pittsburgh Pirates Willie Stargelle by Hernandez and Brock
the Cards finish in third place with an 86-76 record.1980: The Cardinals have four different men serve as manager during a turbulent 74-88 season
that sees them land in fourth Place. The Cardinals also see a change in General
Manager, as Whitey Herzog assumes the roll shortly after being named field
manager. Though Herzog would leave the field near the end of the season, he
would return to the dugout in 1981, after not finishing a suitable replacement.1981: The Cardinals finished the season with the best winning percentage in the Eastern
Division, but missed the playoffs because they finished second in each of the
two sections of the schedule, revised due to the mid-summer players' strike. In
each half, the Cardinals played fewer games than the winners, and could have tied
or won either half with the opportunity to play the same number of games. Bruce
Sutter, one of several players obtained in winter trades by Whitey Herzog,
won the Rolaids Relief Man award. 1982: In order to concentrate more on managing, Whitey Herzog stepped down as General Manager
on Opening Day, turning the reins over to Joe McDonald. The move paid off
as the Cardinals stayed in first place for only 48 days of the season and claimed
their first ever National League East Championship with a 92-70 record. The
team was characterized by an aggressive running style of baseball; seven players
stole bases in double figures, led by team catalyst Lonnie Smith, who swiped
68. Which was needed since the Cards hit only 67 home runs, the fewest in the
major leagues. The Cardinals would go on to sweep the Atlanta Braves in the NLCS
to earn their 13th trip to the Fall Classic In what was known as the "Suds Series"
the Cardinals face the Milwaukee Brewers. The Cardinals did not get off
to a flying start losing Game 1 at home 10-0. In danger of falling behind 0-2 Darrell
Porter hit a clutch two run double in the sixth Inning to tie the game 4-4,
the Cards would go on to win the game 5-4 and tie the series at a game apiece.
The Cards would take a 2-1 series lead in Game 3 as Willie McGee blasted two
homers, but the Brewers would bounce back to take the next two games and send
the series back to St. Louis up 3-2. The Cards would blow the Brewers away 13-2
in Game 6 setting up decisive seventh game. In Game 7 the Cardinals fell behind
early, but rally for three runs in the sixth inning to win their ninth World
Series. Darrell Porter, who won the NLCS MVP, would match his efforts being named
World Series MVP.1983: Despite the fact that the Cardinals finished in fourth place, 11 games out, the team
was competitive and exciting, although inconsistent, throughout much of the
season posting a record of 79-83, as the Cards stun their fans by trading 1B Keith
Hernandez to the New York Mets for Rick Ownby and Neil Allen. The team climbed
to within a half-game of the division lead on September 5th, before embarking
on a 13-day road during which the starting rotation struggled. 1984: The Cardinals got off to a bad start, and dwelled in fifth place for much of the
first half of the season before turning things around after the All-Star break
to finish with a third Place 84-78 record.1985: The Cardinals lost their first four games, bounced back to 7-7, only to lose the
next four. The next time they reached .500 was at 20-20, before turning it on.
They finally made it to first-place on June 21, where they remained for most of
the season. Five defeats in six games early in September left the Cardinals a
game behind the New York Mets with 25 to play. However, the Redbirds then won 14
of their next 15 and took the division title by three games with 101 wins. Willie
McGee was the batting champion, and National League MVP. Vince Coleman was
Rookie of the Year setting a rookie record with 110 steals. In the NLCS the Cardinals
lose their first two games to the Dodgers but go on to win the next four
games, as Ozzie Smith won Game 5 with a dramatic walk off homer off Tom Niedenfuer,
his first ever homer batting left-handed. Down 5-4 with two out in the top
of the ninth inning of Game 6, Jack Clark tagged Niedenfuer for a three run
homer to take the game and the series. The Cardinals take a three games to one
lead against their intrastate rival the Kansas City Royals in the World Series.
After losing Game 5 at home the Cards hold a 1-0, ninth inning lead in Game 6.
On a routine ground ball to first base Todd Worrell covers and appears to beat
Jorge Orta but Umpire Don Deckinger misses the call and rules him safe. This will
spark a two run rally and a force a Game 7 in which the Royals rock the Cardinals
11-0.

1986: A key four game series in April against the New York Mets at Busch Stadium would
be the downfall of the Cardinals. Blowing a three run ninth inning lead in the
first games the Cards never recover being swept by the Mets who cruise to the division
title. After the sweep the Cards were sent reeling and had the worst record
in the National League after May. However, the Cards would right themselves
with winning record in the last four months to finish in third place with a 79-82
record.1987: Sparked by a potent offense, the Cardinals slipped no further than two games back
in the National League East standings and claimed sole possession of first place
on May 22. Beset by injuries to several key players throughout the season, Manager
Whitey Herzog made use of a mixture of experienced veterans and eager rookies
to fill the voids created by injuries. The Cardinals extended their lead
to nine and half games on July 23 but saw the lead shrink to one game as late as
September 29th. However with a Double Header sweep of the Montreal Expos the
Cards would fly into the playoffs with a 95-67 record. In the NLCS the Cards are
dogged continually by Jeffrey Leonard of the San Francisco Giants, who help guide
the Giants to a 3-2 series lead. However with final two games in St. Louis
the Cardinals completely shut down the potent Giants offense winning the last
two games 1-0, and 6-0 respectively to return to the World Series. In the World
Series the Cardinals face the Minnesota Twins, in the first World Series games
played in a dome. The Cardinals would not fair well in the dome losing the first
two games before returning to St. Louis. Back in failure territory the Cards
thrived winning all three games at Busch Stadium. However, the Cards would fall
once again the dome losing the last games and the series as the home team won
all seven games.1988: Beset by injuries all season the Cardinals never get close to the National League
Eastern Division title, and finish in fifth Place with a disappointing 76-86 record.

1989: Although the outlook was bleak when injuries crippled the pitching staff in spring
training, the Cardinals remained in the race until the final week of the season.
The Redbirds pulled within a half-game of the division-leading Chicago Cubs
with a dramatic come-from-behind win on September 9th, but a six game losing streak
followed and the Cards sunk to third place on the final day of the season
with an 86-76 record.1990: In the midst of a disappointing 70-92 last place. On July 5th, Manager Whitey Herzog
resigned after more than ten years as the Cards' skipper. Interim manager Red
Schoendienst took over until August 2nd when Joe Torre was named manager.
1991: The Cardinals rebound nicely off their last place season and put together a solid
second Place season. However, with an 84-78 record the Cards finish 14 games out
of the top perch.1992: On June 1st the Cards sat in first place, but injuries would take their toll and
the Cards dropped to third Place with an 83-79 record.1993: Mark Whiten cracked a team-high 25 home runs, including four in the second game of
a September 7th double-header against the Reds at Cincinnati, thus becoming only
the 12th player to accomplish the feat. His 12 RBI in the game tied former
Cardinal Jim Bottomley's major league record. The cards would go on to finish the
season with an 87-75 record good enough for third Place.1994: Under realignment the Cardinals are moved into the newly formed National League Central
Division as the Majors add a third division in each league. However, the
season would never be completed as the players went on strike August 12th. When
the season was halted the Card were in third place with a record of 53-61.1995: Despite finishing with a terrible 62-81 record the Cardinals get some great relief
from Tom Henke who wins the fireman award. During the season the team's longtime
association with Anheuser-Busch comes to an end as the club is sold to a group
of long-time Cardinals fans led by Fred Hanser, William DeWitt Jr. and Andrew
Baur.1996: With Busch Stadium undergoing a dramatic makeover including a return to real grass,
the Cardinals enter a new era. Taking over the reigns as manager is Tony LaRussa
who led the Oakland Athletics to three World Series Appearances. The season
would also see the return of long-time fan favorite Willie McGee, and the final
season of Ozzie Smith at SS. Through Mid-May the Cards sat nine games below
.500. They rebounded with a sweep of the division-rival Astros in Houston, went
on to record a 17-10 mark in June and reached the All-Star break tied for the
division lead. The race remained close until Labor Day weekend, when the Redbirds
swept three games from the first-place Astros to take over the division lead
for good, finishing with an 88-74 record. In their first playoff appearance
in nine years, the Cards get off to fats start sweeping the San Diego Padres
in the NLDS. In the NLCS the Cards get off to a fast start grabbing a 3-1 off
the Atlanta Braves. However, the Cards would unravel and get blown out in the
final three games of the series.1997: After beginning the season with a six-game losing streak, the Cardinals never climbed
above .500 and finished in fourth place with a 73-89 record. Slugger Mark
McGwire arrived July 31st and belted 24 home runs as a Cardinal, including 15 in
September (a club record for one month). He finished with 58 homers, tying the
major league record for right-handed hitters. McGwire became just the fifth player
to hit as many as 58 home runs and only the second, next to Babe Ruth, to
record 50 or more in consecutive seasons. "Big Mac's" total of 110 homers in 1996
and '97 are the most ever back-to-back by a righty.1998: Mark McGwire and Chicago Cubs Sammy Sosa battle for history all season long. Early
on in the season it was apparent that 1998 would be the year someone would pass
Roger Maris' record of 61 home runs. Sosa and McGwire would battle back and
forth all through out the second half. On September 8th Mark McGwire would pass
Roger Maris in front of a Nationwide TV audience, and a sellout crowd at Busch
Stadium. Sosa would battle back to tie and take a brief lead. However McGwire
would belt two home runs in each of the last two games to reach a grand total
of 70 giving Big Mac the most prestigious single season record in sports.
However, despite McGwire's record performance the Cards can only manage an 83-79
record good only for third Place.
1999: Early in the season the Cardinals were making history with the longball. However,
this time it was not Big Mac, instead it was 3B Fernando Tatis who belts two Grand
Slams in the same inning off Dodgers pitcher Chan Ho Park in an April 23rd
game at Los Angeles. Mark McGwire would makes his noise later in the season smashing
the 500th home run of his career, and making a late season surge to pass
Sammy Sosa again in home run, and led the league with 65. However, the Cards still
struggle and finish in fourth Place with a 75-86 record. 2000: The Cardinals win the Central Division with a 95-67 record, despite losing Mark McGwire
for most of the second half to a nagging knee injury. The Cards Division
Championship was bolstered by several key off-season moves to land pitchers like
Darryl Kile. To fill the void for McGwire the Cards acquire Will Clark near
the trade deadline. The acquisition of Clark would help in the NLDS, as he helped
lead the Cards in a shocking three game sweep of the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS.
However, the Cards run would end there as they lose the NLCS in five games
to the New York Mets, while being blanked by Mike Hampton twice.
2001: Through most of the first half the Cardinals struggled just to keep their heads above
water. However, it may have been worse if not for the hitting of rookie Albert
Pujols. Pujols who played early in the season only because of Mark McGwire's
continued injury problem, earned a spot on the All-Star team, and hit a team
rookie record 37 home run on the way to the Rookie of the Year award. In the second
half the Cardinals finally started to play solid baseball and made a push
for the playoffs. Their push would finally pay off in September as they tied the
Houston Astros for the Division Title with a 93-69 record. However since both
teams were in the playoffs, and the Astros won the season series the Cardinals
had to settle for the Wild Card. In the NLDS the Cards battle the Arizona Diamondbacks
to a thrilling five games in a series dominated by outstanding pitching
performances before losing 2-1 in the bottom of ninth of the finale. Following
the season Mark McGwire frustrated by injuries would retire after a season in
which he hit 29 home runs, but batted well below .200.2002: Going into the season the Cardinals were among the favorites in the NL. However,
injuries too almost the entire pitching caused the Cardinals to get off to a slow
start. However, by June the Cardinals were starting to get healthy and on June
18th the Cardinals finally climbed in first place thanks to a stellar outing
by Darryl Kile, who was the only starting pitcher to remain healthy early in the
season. However the joy would be tempered a bit when long time Cardinals
announcer Jack Buck dies after a battle with cancer. While the city remembered
the longtime voice of the Cardinals no one was prepared for the tragedy that
would strike just four days later. In Chicago to face the Cubs ten Cards were
worried when Darryl Kile didn't show up for the game, sending someone back to the
hotel they made the shocking discovery that Kile had died in his sleep. Though
only 33 Kile had serve and undetected heart disease. Kile and Buck would not
be the only loss in the Cardinal family later in the summer the team would see
1946 World Series hero Enos Slaughter and 1982 World Series hero Darryl Porter
both pass away. The Cardinals would understandable struggle at first but dedicating
the rest of the season to their fallen star the Cardinals would play inspired
baseball winning the Central Division going away with a solid record of 97-65.
Helping the Cardinals down the stretch is Scott Rolen who is acquired in a
blockbuster deal around the trading deadline. In the NLDS the Cards would get
revenge from the previous season by sweeping the defending World Champion Arizona
Diamondbacks in three straight. However, with Rolen banged up the Cards would
be knocked off by the San Francisco Giants in the NLCS in five games. 2003: Albert Pujols continued to establish himself as one of the true rising stars in all
of baseball by challenging for the Triple Crown all season. Pujols would go
on to win the batting crown with a solid .359 average, while finishing 4th in Homers
and RBI with 43 and 124. Despite his spectacular season Pujols would have
to settle for second in NL MVP voting. With Pujols leading the way the Cardinals
entered the final month in a three team race for the National League Central
crown, despite their entire pitching staff being it with a rash of injuries that
limited ace starter Matt Morris to 27 games and closer Jason Isringhausen to
just 40 appearances. The Cardinals would start September off on the wrong foot
dropping four of five games to the Chicago Cubs. The Cards would never recover
as they spent the final weeks of the season playing catch up finishing in third
place with a record of 85-77.2004: Armed with the best offense in the National League and a solid pitching staff the
Cardinals were the class of the National League all season grabbing control of
the Central Division with a 19-9 June and never looking back, as they established
a double digit lead in July and cruised down the stretch posting a MLB best
record of 105-57, which was the second highest win total in franchise history,
as Albert Pujols, Jim Edmonds and Scott Rolen each had 34 more or more homers,
111 or more RBI, and batted over .300, while starter Jeff Suppan, Chris Carpenter,
Jason Marquis and Matt Morris all one at least 15 games, as the Cardinals
3.75 ERA was ranked second in all of baseball. As they entered the playoffs the
Cardinals were a heavy favorite to get to the World Series as the offensive addition
of Larry Walker who hit 11 homers in 44 games with the Cardinals after being
acquired from the Colorado Rockies fit right into the Cardinals machine. In
the NLDS the Cardinals faced the Los Angeles Dodgers and got off to a quick start
winning the first two games at home 8-3. After being shutout 4-0 in Game 3
the Cardinals put the Dodgers away with a solid 6-2 win in Game 4 to advance to
the NLCS for the third time in five years. In the NLCS the Cardinals faced a
familiar foe in Central Division rival Houston Astros whom they beat by 13 games
for the Central Division title in the regular season. In the first two games
the Cardinals offense continued to roll as they won the first two games by scores
of 10-7 and 6-4. However as the series shifted to Houston the Cardinals ran
into a problem as they were handcuffed by Roger Clemens in Game 3. In Game 4 the
Cards would jump out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning only to see the Astros
rally and win 6-5 to even the series. Game 5 would be a classic pitcher's duel
as Woody Williams and Brandon Backe each allowed just one hit. Jason Isringhausen
would relieve Williams in the eighth and would give the game away in the ninth
inning allowing a three-run homer to Jeff Kent in the ninth inning as the Astros
took control of the series. As the series returned to Busch Stadium for Game
6 the Cardinals and Astros went into extra innings where Jim Edmonds homered
in the 12th inning to give the Cards a 6-4 win to force a decisive seventh game.
In Game 7 trailing Roger Clemens 2-1 in sixth inning Albert Pujols would deliver
a game tying double, before Scott Rolen delivered a 2-run homer to give the
Cardinals the lead for good as they went on to win the game 5-2 to advance to
the World Series for the first time in 17 years, as Pujols earned MVP honors
by batting .500 with four homers as the Cards and Astros combined for a postseason
record 24 homers. In the World Series the Cardinals would face the Boston Red
Sox who were flying off an ALCS victory over the New York Yankees in which they
became the first team to rally from a 0-3 deficit. Game 1 was another slugfest,
as the Red Sox won 11-9 with a Mark Bellhorn home run in the eighth inning.
However that would be the last noise made by the Cardinals bats all series as
the Sox took a 2-0 series lead behind Curt Schilling 6-2. Even Busch Stadium could
not help get the Cardinals back into the series as the Sox were just too hot
coming off their dramatic comeback. In Game 3 it would be Pedro Martinez who
shut down the Cards allowing just three hits as the Red Sox won 4-1. The Red Sox
would go on to complete the sweep with a 3-0 win in Game 4 as Derrick Lowe and
Keith Foulke held the Cards to just four hits as the Red Sox won their first
World Series in 86 years, holding the Cardinals powerful offense to a .190 average
in the Fall Classic.
2005: In the final season of Busch Stadium II the Cardinals showed little hangover of their
disappointing World Series as they once again got off to a strong start and
established a big lead in the National League Central Division as they held a
33-18 record at the end of May. The Cardinals would hold a double digit division
lead most of the season as the cruised to their fourth Division Title in six
years with a tremendous 100-62 record. However, it was not without its bumps in
the road as Scott Rolen was limited to just 56 games with five home runs before
he was forced to undergo season ending shoulder surgery for a lingering injury
from the 2004 playoffs. The loss of Rolen but more of the burden on Albert Pujols,
who continued to be one of the most consistent hitters in baseball with
a .330 average, 41 homers, and 117 RBI ranking second or third in the National
League in each to earn his MVP honors. On the mound the Cardinals coming into the
season had off-season acquisition Mark Mulder penciled in as the ace. However,
it was Chris Carpenter who emerged as their best pitcher with a NL best 21-5
record and 2.83 ERA to capture the Cy Young Award. In the playoffs the Cardinals
quickly dispatched an inferior San Diego Padres team in three straight as Reggie
Sanders had 10 RBI in the 3-Game sweep. Facing the Houston Astros for the
second straight year in the NLCS the Cardinals got off to a fast start winning
Game 1 behind Chris Carpenter 5-3. However, in Game 2 the Cardinals would be frustrated
by Roy Oswalt as the series shifted to Houston tied at a game a piece.
In Houston the Cards experienced more frustration losing to Roger Clemens 4-3.
Needing to win Game 3 to avoid falling behind 3-1 the Cardinals bats were silenced
again trailing 2-1 in the ninth Inning as a frustrated Manager Tony LaRussa
and Jim Edmonds were ejected for arguing balls and strikes with home plate umpire
Phil Cuzzi. The Cardinals would not go down quietly as they had runners at
first and thirrd nobody out in the ninth Inning. However Albert Pujols would be
thrown out at home on a Reggie Sanders bouncer to 3rd then with first and third
one out had the game suddenly end as John Mabry grounded into a Double Play.
The stunned Cardinals continued to real in Game 5 as they trailed 4-2 in the ninth
facing elimination, when suddenly they rallied again, and this time won the
game on a long three run home run by Albert Pujols with two outs. However the
Cardinals reprieve would not be carried over as they returned home for Game 6
as they were shut down by Roy Oswalt again losing 5-1 as the Astros went on to
the World Series.
2006: Coming off their disappointing loss in the NLCS the Cardinals had a new nest to call
home as a new Busch Stadium opened up next to where the old one had sat for
nearly 40 years. After splitting the first six games on the road the Cardinals
played the first game at new Busch Stadium with a 6-3 win as Albert Pujols and
Mark Mulder both hit Home Runs. The Cardinals would quickly take over first place
in the National League Central Divison as they held a 34-19 record at the end
of May. However, as June arrived so did the injury bug with Albert Pujols missing
a few weeks with a strained oblique muscle, as the Cardinals struggled through
June with a 9-16 record. Injuries would also hurt the pitching staff as a
Mark Mulder was limited to 17 games with a rotator cuff injury, while CF Jim Edmonds
played sparingly in the second half after suffering a concussion following
a diving catch, while a hip injury would end Closer Jason Isringhausen's season
in August. Despite the injuries the Cardinals held a solid 58-42 record on
July 26th and still were comfortably in first place. However, the Cardinals would
play shaky baseball the next two months starting with an 8-game losing streak
that started with an embarrassing four game sweep at the hands of the lowly Chicago
Cubs, whom the Cards struggled with all season with an 8-11 record. However,
through it all the Cardinals remained in first place as they held a seven
game lead over the second place Cincinnati Reds and an eight and half game lead
over the Houston Astros with 12 games to play. It was then that the Cardinals
went on another dip, at the same time the Astros were surging as the Cardinals
lead was trimmed to a half game by the Astros as the Cardinals lost eight of their
next nine games. As the Cardinals felt the sudden pressure of what would have
been the biggest collapse in baseball history they recovered to win three of
four games as they finished the season with a record of 83-79, holding on by a
narrow game and a half. Entering the playoffs as underdogs the Cardinals were
suddenly without pressure, and it had a positive effect as they took Game 1 of
the NLDS on the road against the San Diego Padres led by the pitching of Chris
Carpenter. Game 2 would be more of the same as behind Jeff Weaver and, four relievers
the Cardinals held the Padres to four hits in a 2-0 win. After losing Game
3 at home, Carpenter returned to the round and stifled the Padres again as the
Cardinals won 6-2 and advanced to the NLCS in four games. Facing the New York
Mets in the NLCS the Cardinals were heavy underdogs again, and after being blanked
2-0 in Game 1, they faced a 0-2 hole as they trailed 6-4 in the seventh Inning,
when Scott Speizo delivered a game triple to tie the game as So Taguchi's
home run in the ninth inning sparked a three-run ninth and a 9-6 win. As the
series shifted to St. Louis Jeff Suppan was superb allowing just three hits over
eight innings as the Cardinals won 5-0. The Mets would rebound to win Game 4,
as rain postponed Game 5 for a day. In Game 5 it would be Jeff Weaver stepping
up huge, as the player grabbed off the scrap heap in August out dueled Tom Glavine
in a 4-2 win. Despite having Chris Carpenter on the mound the Cardinals could
not close out the Mets in six games as they were frustrated all day by John
Maine, losing 4-2. Game 7 would see Suppan be strong again as he held the Mets
powerful lineup to two hits and one first inning run, as the game was tied 1-1
in the ninth inning, when Yadier Molina hit a two run home to give the Cardinals
a 3-1 lead as Adam Wainright struck out Carlos Beltran with the bases loaded
to send the Cardinals to the World Series.
2006: In the World Series the Cardinals continued to lavish in the role of underdog as
they faced the Detroit Tigers, whom the Cardinals lost three straight to during
their June swoon. However, this time things would be different as the Cardinals
took advantage of the Tigers sloppy play and won the opener 7-2. After losing
Game 2 to Kenny Rogers, who appeared to be scuffing the baseball, the series shifted
to St. Louis, where Chris Carpenter held the Tigers to just three hits over
eight innings, while the Cardinals continued to take advantage of Tigers fielding
woes to win 5-0. After a rain postponed Game 4 a day the Cardinals were
the ones who looked sloppy early, falling behind 3-0. However, led by David Eckstein
who went 4-for-5 with three doubles and two RBI, the Cardinals came back
to win 5-4 to take a 3-1 series lead. Eckstein would be the hero again in Game
5 as he had two more hits, and two RBI as the Cardinals won the World Series 4-2.
The World Series Championship would be the first for the Cardinals since 1982,
and the tenth overall in franchise history as Manager Tony LaRussa became just
the second Manager to win World Championships in both leagues, cementing his
Hall of Fame resume. The Cardinals 83-79 record was also the worst ever for a
World Series winner. However, with 5'7" David Eckstein becoming the shortest player
to win World Series MVP, and a minor league call up named Adam Wainwright
not allowing a run in seven postseason appearances it did not matter for the fans
of St. Louis, who just saw the words World Champion St. Louis Cardinals.2007: The Cardinals began defense of their World Championship against the team they battled
in the NLCS. This time it was the New York Mets who would emerge victorious
as the Cardinals were swept at home. Making matters worse is that ace Chris Carpenter
felt a pain in his elbow after losing on Opening Night; the pain would
lead to season ending Tommy John surgery and left the Cardinals with a gapping
hole in their rotation. Injuries were an issue elsewhere too, as Scott Rolen and
Jim Edmonds continued to deal with nagging injuries, while other starters like
Adam Kennedy, and World Series David Eckstein also missed significant time,
as the Cardinals had 15 regulars spend a part of the season on the Disabled List.
As April came to a close the struggling Cardinals had to deal with tragedy as
Reliever Josh Hancock was killed in the early morning hours of April 29th while
driving drunk. Only a month earlier in Spring Training had the Cardinals had
to deal with the drunken driving arrest of Manager Tony LaRussa. Through much
of the first half the Cardinals had to do all they could from fading into oblivion
as they held a 40-45 record heading into the All-Star Break. However, after
the break the Cardinals made a run, closing to within one game in first place
on September 7th. While the Cardinals were making their second half turnaround
the Cardinals had an incredible comeback story of their own as Rick Ankiel returned
to the majors. It had been a strange odyssey for Ankiel since 2001, as the
2000 Rookie phenom who stated Game 1 of the NLDS, had lost control of the plate,
after being sent down to the minors in 2001, Ankiel had made just a brief cameo
in St. Louis in 2004, as he dealt with injuries and the continued to have trouble
throwing strikes. Eventual he gave up pitching and became an outfielder
and worked his way back up through the Cardinals system returning in 2007 as a
power hitter for the middle of the lineup. In just 47 games with the Cards, Ankiel
hit 11 home runs and drove in 39 RBI. However, the story was tarnished a bit
when Ankiel's name was linked to HGH use. The Cardinals would also suffer another
key injury down the stretch as Juan Encarncaion was hit in the eye, by a ball
fouled off from Aaron Miles while waiting in the on deck circle. The injury
severely damaged Encarnacion's eye and put the rest of his career in jeopardy.
With the news of Ankiel HGH use and the Encarncaion injury the air suddenly came
out of the balloon, as the Cardinals faded down the stretch losing 13-of-15
games as they finished the season in third place with a record of 78-84.
2008: The Cardinals get off to a strong start winning 12 of their first 18 games as they
were in first place with an 18-11 record at the end of April, as Albert Pujols
hit safely in his first 34 games. However, May would see injuries take a toll
on the pitching staff as they played mediocre baseball. Things would only get
worse in June, as Albert Pujols spent time on the disabled list in June, where
he was joined by Adam Wainwright, who was the Cards most reliable starting pitcher
all season. Pujols, would return quickly but the Cardinals continued to scuffle
as they dropped into third place. Despite a breakout season from Ryan Ludwick
with 37 home runs, and 113 RBI, and another stellar season from Albert Pujols,
who was named NL MVP with 37 home runs, 116 RBI, and a league best .357 batting
average, the Cardinals were never a serious factor in the pennant race, finishing
in fourth with an 86-76 record, that was aided by a season ending six game
winning streak.
2009: Entering the season there were several questions surrounding the Cardinals, who had
been unable to get back to the playoffs after their surprise run to the 2006
World Championship. Pitcher Chris Carpenter had effectively been lost for two
full seasons after Tommy John surgery, as huge doubts remained weather he could
become an effective pitcher again. Starting the fourth game of the season Carpenter
was solid, allowing just one hit over seven innings as earned his first win
since Game 3 of the 2006 World Series, by beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1.
However, just five days later Carpenter was back on the disabled list after pulling
a rib cage muscle while taking batting practice. Despite losing Chris Carpenter
again the Cardinals excelled in April posting a 16-7 record, which was
the best mark in all of baseball. Leading the way in April was Albert Pujols who
was named Player of the Month. Injuries would take their effect on the Cards
in May as Rick Ankiel and Ryan Ludwick spent time on the disabled list while the
team lost 10 of 14 games. Chris Carpenter would return as May came to a close,
and would return to his Cy Young form posting a 17-4 record with a solid 2.24
ERA. He was joined by Adam Wainwright who was just as good with a 19-8 record
and an ERA of 2.63. They would be joined by Joel Pineiro who had a solid 15-12
season to give the Cardinals one of the best starting rotations in the National
League. However, with their offense struggling, the Cardinals continued to struggle
in June, as they posted a 12-17 record. In July the Cardinals would begin
to get healthy as they found their offense, with Ryan Ludwick winning player of
the month honors by batting .340 with six Home runs and a league-high 28 RBI,
as the Cardinals regained first place in the Central Division, a spot they would
hold the rest of the season. Adding to the Cardinals resurgent offense was Matt
Holiday, who the Cardinals acquired on July 24th in a trade with the Oakland
Athletics for 3B Brett Wallace, Pitcher Clayton Mortensen, and OF Shane Peterson.
Holiday would deliver a four hit game in his Cardinals debut, as he batted
hitting .353, with 13 Home Runs and 55 RBI in 63 games with the Red Birds. With
Holiday in the lineup and Albert Pujols posting a second straight MVP season
by batting .327 with 47 homers and 135 RBI the Cardinals caught fire in August
winning 20 of 27 games, as they built a ten game led on the way to winning the
division with a record of 91-71. In the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers the
Cardinals would be put in a hole right away as they lost 5-3 in Game 1. With
a 2-1 lead in the 9th Inning thanks to a strong outing from Adam Wainwwright the
Cardinals appeared to be heading to St. Louis with the series even at a game
apiece. However, Matt Holliday dropped the potential third out as the Dodgers rallied
to score two runs off Ryan Franklin to win the game 3-2. Not even returning
to St. Louis could save the Cardinals as the Dodgers completed the sweep with
a 5-1 win in Game 3.
2010: The Cardinals got off to a strong start as they began the season on the road against
the Cincinnati Reds, spoiling the ceremonial opening day in the Queen City
by winning 11-6, as Albert Pujols hit two home runs, and Yadier Molina hit a grand
slam as Chris Carpenter earned the win. A week later in the home opener, Adam
Wainwright got the win, as the Cardinals beat the Houston Astros 5-0, with a
three run home run for Pujols. This was all part of a strong April, in which the
Cards posted a 15-8 record, leading the NL Central. One of their eight April
losses may have been the most memorable game of the month, as a Nationally Televised
game against the New York Mets at Bush Stadium, became a classic marathon,
with the Mets winning 2-1 in 20 innings on April 17th, as the Cardinals needed
to use OF Joe Mather and Infielder Felipe Lopez on the mound after running out
of pitchers. Early in May, the Cardinals built a five game lead in the division,
but it was short lived, as they went into a slump losing seven of nine games.
The Cardinals would end the month in a first place tie, with the Reds holding
a 30-22 record. The Cardinals and Reds would battle for the Central Division
all season. As the trade deadline approached the Cardinals looked to strengthen
their rotation by sending Ryan Ludwick to the San Diego Padres, as they landed
Jake Westbrook from the Cleveland Indians in a three team deal. Also helping
the Cardinals rotation was Jaime Garcia who had a breakout season coming off Tommy
John surgery, by posting a solid 13-8, with a 2.70 ERA, as he finished third
in Rookie of the Year voting. In August the Cardinals entered a key three game
series with the Reds on the road, trailing by one game. The series opener would
be marred by an ugly brawl, as the Cardinals dominated sweeping by a combined
score of 21-8. After leaving Cincinnati, the Cardinals appeared to have control
of the division back, but they could not capitalize on the momentum and went
into a deep slump, losing 13 of their next 17 games. At the same time the Reds
played strong baseball and leaped over the Cards, to build an eight game lead
as September began. The Cardinals would not be able to overcome the sudden tailspin
as the Reds went on to win the division title. The Cardinals would never make
a serious run at the Wild Card either, as they ended the year with an 86-76
record. One bright spot was the continued greatness of Albert Pujols, who tough
not winning the MVP award became just the third player in baseball history behind
Jimmie Foxx and Alex Rodriguez to hit 30 home runs and driving in 100 RBI
in ten straight seasons, as he led the NL with 42 homers and 118 RBI. However,
he would finish behind the Reds Joey Votto in MVP voting. At the same time Adam
Wainwright, also finished second Cy Young voting, as he led the Cardinals with
a 20-11 record with an ERA of 2.48.
2011: As the season began the Cardinals got some bad news as Adam Wainwright was lost for
the season, after undergoing Tommy John surgery to repair his elbow. The Cardinals
were also dealing with the upcoming free agency of Albert Pujols, as the
Cardinals were unable to reach a contract extension before the start of the season.
The Cardinals would struggle at the start of the season, losing six of their
first eight games. The Cardinals would overcome the slow start, and would end
April in first place with a record of 16-11. One of the reasons for the Cardinals
successful first month was Lance Berkman, who the Cardinals invited to spring
training, and discovered the fountain of youth after being considered washed
up following a poor 2010. Berkman would lead the NL in both slugging (.753)
and OPS (1.207) in April, while his .393 average was third best. Matt Holliday
also had a strong April, hitting a league best .408. One Cardinal who struggled
early was Albert Pujols, who may have been effected by his contract situation.
Despite the struggles of Pujols, the Cardinals continued to stay atop the NL Central,
posting a record of 17-12 in May. Pujols would finally break out in June,
hitting five home runs in the first week and earning Player of the Week honors.
However, a wrist injury would put Pujols on the Disabled List just two weeks
later, as the Cardinals began to resemble a MASH unit with 12 players being on
the DL. The Cardinals also struggled to find a reliable closer early in the season
as Ryan Franklin blew four of his first five games and was eventually released.
Intitally expected to be out six to eight weeks, Albert Pujols returned
after just two weeks on the shelf, but the Cards continued to struggle, losing
their grip on first place as they went into the All Star Break with a record of
49-43. As the trade deadline approached the Cardinals made a few deals that they
hoped would address their bullpen needs and the need for speed at the top of
the lineup and defense at shortstop. First they sent disgruntled outfielder Colby
Rasmus along with Trever Miller, Brian Tallet, and P.J. Walters to the Toronto
Blue Jays for Edwin Jackson, Marc Rzepczynski, Octavio Dotel, and Corey Patterson.
They then sent AA-outfielder Alex Castellanos to the Los Angeles Dodgers
for SS Rafael Furcal. The Cardinals would also pick up veteran Arthur Rhodes
of waivers, finishing the complete overhaul of the bullpen. Despite the changes
the Cardinals appeared to fall out of the race in August as the Milwaukee Brewers
raced out to a ten game lead. The Cardinals were also ten games out of the
Wild Card spot, as they held a 67-63 record on August 24th. The Cardinals would
end the month a strong note winning three of four against the Pittsburgh Pirates,
and sweeping a three game series against the Brewers in Miller Park. While
the Brewers would shake off the sweep, the Cardinals who were given up for dead
began gaining ground on the Braves in the Wild Card chase. The Cardinals would
sweep a three game series with the Braves at Busch Stadium to get begin their
improbable comeback. The Cardinals would get within one game with three games to
play. However, a costly 6-5 loss to the lowly Houston Astros seemed to end their
amazing comeback, but luckily for them the Braves continued to lose and were
swept by the Philadelphia Phillies in a season ending series. Meanwhile, the
Cardinals rebounded to win the next two games, first catching the Braves, than
surpassing them to win the Wild Card on the last day of the season with a record
of 90-72.2011 NLDS and NLCS: After finishing the season 23-9 to make the playoffs on the last day of the season,
the Cardinals were given little chance in the NLDS against the Philadelphia
Phillies, who were the favorites to win the World Series from the start of the
season. The Cardinals would get off to a quick start in Game 1, as Lance Berkman
gave them an early 3-0 lead with a first inning home run. However, the Phillies
would storm back scoring ten runs over the last three innings to win the opener
11-6. In Game 2 it was the Phillies who jumped out to an early 4-0. This time
it would be the Cardinals who scratched their way back, as their bullpen allowed
just one hit over six innings as the Cardinals won 5-4 to even the series.
Pitching was the story in Game 3 at Busch Stadium as Jaime Garcia and Cole Hammels
did not allow a run through the first six innings. However, the Phillies would
deliver a death blow in the seventh inning as Ben Francisco delivered a three
run homer as the Phillies went on to win the game 3-2. The pesky Cardinals
would not go down quietly as they overcame an early 2-0 deficit to take a 3-2 lead
in Game 4, when a furry friend made his presence felt. Though it had no effect
on the game the grey squirrel that appeared on the field for the second straight
game showed just how tight the Phillies were. The squirrel would become known
as Rally Squirrel and would be cheered by Cardinals fans and looked down with
a scowl from the Phillies, as their Manager Charlie Manuel declared that he
wish he had a gun to shoot it. The Cardinals with continued strong relief went
on to win the game 5-3 forcing a decisive fifth game. Game 5 in Philadelphia would
see both teams send their aces to the hill as Chris Carpenter faced off against
Roy Halladay. As they did in Game 1, the Cardinals got to Halladay early
as a double by Skip Schumaker drove home Rafael Furcal. The one run would be just
enough as Chris Carpenter pitched brilliantly allowing just three hits to outduel
Halladay as the Cardinals stunned the Phillies 1-0 to advance to the NLCS.
Showing just how different the NLCS would be the Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers
showed off their power early as the teams traded the lead with home runs. The
Brewers would go on to win Game 1 behind a six run explosion in the fifth inning
9-6 as the two teams combined for four home runs. Albert Pujols went into
full beast mode in Game 2, as he went four for five with a home run, three doubles
and five RBI as the Cardinals crushed the Brewers 12-3. The Cardinals would
continue the momentum in Game 3 as the series shifted to Busch Stadium, scoring
four runs in the first inning. The Brewers would quickly score three runs, as
the game was handed over to the bullpen. The Cardinals bullpen which had been
so unreliable early in the season had now become a strength as they got four perfect
innings from Fernando Salas, Lance Lynn, Marc Rzepczynski, and Jason Motte
to preserve the 4-3 win. After the Brewers evened the series with a 4-2 win in
Game 4 the Cardinals again found themselves in must win situation in Game 5.
Taking advantage of shotty fielding, the Cardinals would win 7-1, as they continued
to get terrific relief efforts from their bullpen. In Game 6 at Miller Park,
the Cardinals again jumped out early 4-0 behind a three run home run from David
Freese, as the two teams slugged it out early in the game, with five home runs
in the first two innings as the Cardinals held a 5-4 lead. The Cardinals would
continue to pound the Brewers in the third inning, as Albert Pujols started
a four run rally. The Cardinals would pound the Brewers 12-6 to win the game and
advance to the World Series, as David Freese who hit three home runs, with nine
RBI and a .545 average was named NLCS MVP.
2011 World Series: In the Fall Classic the Cardinals were once again the underdogs as they faced the
Texas Rangers. The Cardinals would draw first blood, winning 3-2 in Game 1, on
a RBI single by Allen Craig in the sixth inning as they continued to get terrific
relief. Game 2 would see a pitcher's duel between Jaime Garcia and Colby Lewis
as Allen Craig again gave the Cardinals a lead with a RBI single. However,
the Cardinals bullpen finally cracked as Jason Motte who had turned into a reliable
closer allowed two runs in the ninth and got the loss as the Rangers won the
game 2-1 to even the series. As the series shifted to Texas, Albert Pujols again
shifted into beast mode, posting one of the best offensive games in World
Series history as he went five for six with six RBI, joining Reggie Jackson and
Babe Ruth as the only players to hit three home runs in a World Series game as
the Cardinals pounded the Rangers 16-7. However, the Cardinals bats would suddenly
go silent as the Rangers won the next two games 4-0 and 4-2. With their backs
against the wall once again the Cardinals hoped returning to Busch Stadium
would bring forth one more rally. After rain postponed Game 6 for a day, the Cardinals
continued to show their never say die spirit as the Rangers took the lead
three times only to see the Cardinals battle back to tie the game. With the
score tied 4-4 in the seventh inning the Rangers appeared to deliver the knockout
blow as Adrian Beltre and Nelson Cruz hit back-to-back home runs to pace a three
run rally. A Home Run by Allen Craig made it 7-5, but it appeared bleak for
the Red Birds as the Rangers had closer Neftali Feliz on the hill in the ninth
inning. Down to their last strike, the Cardinals came back from the dead again
as David Freese tripled over the head of Nelson Cruz to drive home Albert Pujols
and Lance Berkman to even the game 7-7. The reprieve was short lived as the
Rangers again took a two run lead on a home run by Josh Hamilton. Again the Cardinals
were down to their last strike, after a Ryan Theriot RBI ground out cut
the deficit to one run, but a RBI single by Lance Berkman again sent Busch Stadium
into a frenzy with the score tied again 9-9. David Freese would then deliver
the shot heard around the world as he led off the 11th inning with a home run
to give the Cardinals a 10-9 win to send the series to seventh game, as Freese
had his uniform ripped off by his mobbing teammates. The Rangers again jumped
out to an early 2-0 lead in Game 1, but as the Cardinals did so many times in
Game 6 the lead would not last as Freese even the game with a two run double in
the bottom of the first inning. The Cardinals would take the lead in the third
inning a solo blast from Allen Craig, as they scored twice in the fifth inning
on a bases loaded walk and hit by pitch. Allen Craig again played a big role,
stealing a home run from Nelson Cruz in the sixth inning as the Cardinals seemed
to take the spirit from the Rangers. The Cardinals would go on to win the game
6-2 as Chris Carpenter earned his fourth postseason win to give the Cardinals
their 11th and perhaps most improbable World Championship. Once again David Freese
whose heroics in Game 6 made the championship possible was named World Series
MVP as he had a record 21 postseason RBI. The Cardinals celebration would be
a last for Manager Tony LaRussa, who announced his retirement shortly after the
World Series. LaRussa, who decided to retire in June, ended his career with
a record of 2,728-2,365, only ranking behind Connie Mack and John McGraw for the
third most wins all time for a Manager. The 2011 season would also mark the end
of the Albert Pujols era in St. Louis as the free agent signed a ten-year deal
with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, worth around $254 million. Pujols would
take a full page ad thanking the fans in St. Louis as he later expressed disappointment
that the Cardinals were only willing to offer him a five year contract.
2012: After completing a thrilling run to their 11th World Series Championship, the Cardinals
began the season with a different look, as Manager Tony LaRussa retired
and was replaced by Matt Matheny, while Albert Pujols signed a ten year free agent
deal with the Los Angeles Angels. The Cardinals would begin the season with
a 4-1 win over the Miami Marlins, spoiling the opening of the new downtown stadium
in Miami. The Cardinals would than win four of six against the Milwaukee Brewers
and Cincinnati Reds before heading home to take on the Chicago Cubs. Despite
losing their first game at Busch Stadium the Cardinals got off to a solid
start, winning their first six series as they started 11-5. The good start came
despite the loss of Chris Carpenter who was suffering from a sore shoulder later
diagnosed as thoracic outlet syndrome. Helping to pick up the slack for Carpenter
was Kyle Lohse who started on opening day and was the Cards most reliable
starter all season, posting a 16-3 record, with an ERA of 2.86. Also helping to
guide the Cardinals early in the season was Carlos Beltran who signed during
the off-season. Beltran who had suffered through injuries the last few seasons
with the New York Mets found baseball resurrection in St. Louis, leading the Cardinals
with 32 Home Runs, while collecting 97 RBI. The hitting of Beltran became
important as Lance Berkman was hobbled most of the season with a bad knee. In
May the Cardinals would struggle, losing their early lead in the Central Division
as they posted a record of 13-16. The slump would carry over into June as
they had trouble just getting on base against the Mets, as they were No Hit by
Johan Santana on June 1st, as the Cardinals posted another losing month. Not all
news was bad during May and June, as Adam Wainwright who missed the entire 2011
season, returned to the starting rotation. The Cardinals again found themselves
playing catch up as they went into the All-Star Break with a record of 46-40.
The Cardinals would send three players (Carlos Beltran, Rafael Furcal and Yadier
Molina) to the All-Star Game in Kansas City, as Tony LaRussa came out of retirement
for one last game, leading the National League to an 8-0 win. The Cardinals
would slide out of the race for the division title, but with an added Wild
Card team, the Cardinals still had a shot for the postseason despite enduring
several key injuries throughout the season. One player who the Cardinals thought
was lost for the season was Chris Carpenter, who defied the odds after shoulder
surgery and returned to pitch on September 21st at Wrigley Field against the
Cardinals. Despite losing that game in extra innings 5-4, the Cards seemed inspired
by Carpenter's return, as the won eight of nine and were able to nab the
National League's second wild card spot with a record of 88-74.2012 Wild Card: When the Cardinals made their miracle finish in 2011 the chased down the Atlanta
Braves for the Wild Card spot. Now with two Wild Card teams and a one game Wild
Card game the Cardinals would face the same Braves on the road in the first ever
Wild Card match up. Things looked bad early for the Red Birds as Kyle Lohse
gave up a two run homer to David Ross in the second inning The Cardinals would
rebound to take the lead with three runs in the fourth inning, as they took advantage
of a throwing error by Chipper Jones. The Cardinals would build a 6-2 lead
thanks in part to a home run from Matt Holiday. The Braves would not go down
quietly as they scored one run in the seventh inning. The Braves looked for the
equalizer in the eighth, as they appeared to load the bases with one out, on
a fly ball hit by Andrelton Simmons that dropped between SS Pete Kozma and Matt
Holiday. However, the umpires ruled that it was an infield fly, leading to an
inning ending double play. Fans in Turner Field would turn to outrage, littering
the field with debris, as the game was delayed for 19 minutes. When the dust
settled the Cardinals would emerge victorious as the Braves protest of the game
would be swiftly denied, advancing to the NLDS with a 6-3 win.
2012 Postseason: Facing the Washington Nationals in the NLDS, the Cardinals would have to come from
behind again, as they lost the opener at home 3-2. In Game 2 the Cardinals would
turn things around, as they used four home runs, including two by Carlos Beltran
to even the series with a 12-4 win. As the series shifted to Washington,
the Cardinals got a solid effort from Chris Carpenter, who held the Nats scoreless
for five and two thirds innings, while Pete Kozma's three-run home run gave
the Cards all the runs they needed in an 8-0 victory. Game 4 would be a pitcher's
duel between Ross Detwiler and Kyle Lohse, with both starters allowing just
one run. In the ninth inning the Nats would strike a blow off the Cardinals bullpen,
as Jayson Werth hit a Walk-off Homer Run off Lance Lynn after a 13 pitch
battle to even the series. In the decisive fifth game the Cardinals fell behind
early 6-0 on home runs by Ryan Zimmerman, Bryce Harper, and Michael Morse. The
Cardinals would not give up chipping away at the lead as they got within one
run with a Daniel Descalso. However, the Nats added an insurance run and went into
the ninth inning with a 7-5 lead. Despite a leadoff double by Beltran, things
still looked bleak as the Cardinals were down to their last out after Nationals
Closer Drew Storen retired Matt Holiday and Allen Craig. However, both Yadier
Molina and David Freese walked setting the stage for Descalso to play the role
of hero. The Cardinals 2B who was in the middle of the rally would single home
two runs to even the game 7-7. Pete Kozma would follow with a two run single
to give the Cardinals a 9-7 lead which Jason Motte would nail down by retiring
the side in the bottom of the ninth. Facing the San Francisco Giants in a meeting
of the last two World Champions, the Cardinals would get off to a quick star,
winning the opener of the NLCS in San Francisco 6-4, thanks to home runs from
David Freese and Carlos Beltran. After a 7-1 win by the Giants in Game 2 the
series shifted to St. Louis, where the Cardinals turned to Kyle Lohse to take the
upper hand in the series. The Cardinals would get a big home run from Matt Holliday
as they won in between the rain drops 3-1. The Cardinals would go on to
grab a 3-1 series lead, with and 8-3 win in Game 4, as Adam Wainwright pitched
seven strong innings. Looking to reach the World Series for the second straight
season, the Cardinals bats fell silent in Game 5, as they were blanked by Barry
Zito 5-0. Back to San Francisco the Cardinals seemed to leave their heart in
St. Louis, as the Giants would go on to win the next two games with blowouts to
advance to the World Series for the second time in 3 years, as the Cardinals
could not figure out how to get out Marco Scutaro who won World Series MVP honors
with 14 hits in 28 at bats as the Giants won the last two games 6-1 and 9-0.
A few months after the season the Cardinals lost their greatest player, as Stan
Musial died at the age of 92. 2013: After their disappointing collapse in the NLCS, the Cardinals looked to return to
the World Series. Instead of adding veterans, the Cardinals focused on letting
their talented young players take a bigger role. The Cardinals said good bye to
players like Kyle Lohse, Skip Schumaker and Rafael Furcal as players like Matt
Carpenter, Pete Kozma and Shelby Miller stepped up and proved to be solid major
leaguers. Miller in his first full season posted a record of 15-10 with an ERA
of 3.06, while Carpenter became a valuable leadoff hitter, leading the league
with 126 runs, 199 hits and 55 doubles as he finished fourth in the MVP voting.
The Cardinals had some initial struggles in April as they started the season
on the road splitting series against the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco
Giants. The Cardinals though managed to stay above .500 with a record of 15-11.
As the May flowers bloomed, so did the Cardinals as they posted a record of
20-7 and climbed to the top of the National League Central. The Cardinals winning
ways in May was all the more surprising as they suffered losses in the pitching
staff as Jaime Garcia was lost for the season with shoulder surgery. The Cardinals
were already without Chris Carpenter and needed help from unexpected sources
to maintain their pace. While Adam Wainwright in his second year after Tommy
John surgery reemerged as the Cardinals ace, Jake Westbrook was just as reliable
as the two combined to help the Cardinals have the second best ERA in baseball
at the front of the rotation. The Cardinals also needed to find help in the
bullpen when Jason Motte was shut down for Tommy John surgery. However, in Cardinals
tradition the next man up filled in nicely as Edward Mujica led the way
with 37 saves, while Trevor Rosenthal was nearly flawless in middle relief. The
highlight of the month came when Miller and Wainwright flirted with no hitters
in back to back games against the Colorado Rockies. Despite a mediocre June,
the Cardinals got strong months from Adam Wainwright who was named pitcher of
the month and David Freese who broke out of an early season slump with a 20 game
hitting streak. Another streak that made history in St. Louis was that of Centerfielder
Jon Jay who established a new record for 245 consecutive games without
an error before misplaying a fly ball on July 30th. The Cardinals played
well through most of July as they had the best record in the National League
at 57-36, the Cards played well out of the break winning five of six games however
a seven game losing streak to end July would throw the Cardinals into a tight
division race. The Cardinals along with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati
Reds were among the best teams in the National League all but guaranteeing all
three teams a spot in the playoffs. However, with the pressure of a one game
Wild Card Playoff the Cardinals clearly focused on winning the division title.
In August the Cardinals got another boost from the minors as Kolten Wong and Michael
Wacha both contributed down the stretch. Wong gave the Cardinals some speed
off the bench, while Wacha was the most reliable pitcher down the stretch ,
posting a 4-1 record as he came one out from pitching a no hitter against the
Washington Nationals on September 24th. The Cardinals would clinch the division
title three days later, as they finished with a 97-65 record that was tied with
the Boston Red Sox for the best in all of baseball.
2013 Postseason: Just because they won the division did not mean the Cardinals were done with the
National League Central rivals as they faced the Pittsburgh Pirates in the NLDS.
The Cardinals got off to a fast start in Game 1, scoring seven runs in the third
inning powered by Carlos Beltran's three run blast to take the opener at Busch
Stadium 9-1. However, Lance Lynn struggled in Game 2, as the Pirates evened
the series with a 7-1 win. The Pirates would also take Game 3 as the series shifted
to Pittsburgh, putting the Cardinals in a familiar position with their backs
to the wall. Like he did in his last start in September, Michael Wacha flirted
with a No Hitter, as the Pirates were tied up in knots for seven innings before
Pedro Alvarez broke up the no hitter and the shutout with a solo blast in
the eighth inning. However, the Cardinals held on to win 2-1 as Carlos Martínez
and Trevor Rosenthal got the final outs. The Cardinals would go on to win the
series with a 6-1 win in Game 5, as Adam Wainwright earned his second win of the
series with pair of two run home runs from David Freese and Matt Adams. In the
NLCS for the third straight season, the Cardinals would face the Los Angeles
Dodgers. In the opener it was all Carlos Beltran, as the Cardinals Rightfielder
threw out a runner at home in the tenth inning and had all three RBI as the Cardinals
won 3-2 in 13 innings. In Game 2, Michael Wacha continued to impress outdueling
Clayton Kershaw as the Cardinals won the game 1-0. As the series shifted
to Los Angeles, the Dodgers got a big start from Hyun-Jin Ryu who blanked the
Cardinals over seven innings to hand Adam Wainwright a 3-0 loss. However, the
Cards would bounce back in Game 4, as Matt Holiday and Shane Robinson helped Lance
Lynn earn his second series win 4-2. Following a 6-4 win by the Dodgers in
Game 5, the series returned to St. Louis, where the Cardinals had to face Clayton
Kershaw for a second time. Once again Michael Wacha got the best of the Cy
Young winner again, allowing just two hits as the Cardinals erupted for four runs
in the third and five runs in the fifth inning for an easy 9-0 white washing.
Michael Wacha who had not pitched a full season in the majors and was just in
his second season of professional baseball after being selected by the Cardinals
as compensation for the loss of Albert Pujols would be named NLCS MVP.

2013 World Series: For the fourth time the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox met up in the World
Series. The Cardinals had won the first two meetings, classic seven game battles
in 1946 and 1968, with the Red Sox sweeping the Cardinals in 2004 to end the
curse. Game 1, looked like the 2004 series all over again as the Red Sox won
8-1, as Adam Wainwright allowed five runs in the first two innings. However, in
Game 2 the Cardinals got another strong start from Michael Wacha as they evened
the series with a 4-2 win. Back in Busch Stadium for Game 3, the Cardinals and
Red Sox met in the most thrilling game of the series as the Red Sox twice tied
the game after Cardinals took brief two run leads. The game was tied 4-4 in the
bottom of the ninth inning, when perhaps the strangest ending in World Series
history swung the series into the Cardinals favor. With one out and runners on
second and third Jon Jay hit a short hop to second baseman Dustin Pedroia who
threw out Yadier Molina trying to score the tying run. Red Sox Catcher Jarrod
Saltalamacchia than tried to throw out Allen Craig at third base, but his throw
got away from third baseman Will Middlebrooks, as Craig got up Middlebrooks interfered
preventing Craig from scoring. However, Umpire Dana DeMuth ruled obstruction
of a base runner and the game ended with a Cardinals 5-4 victory. Looking
to get a stranglehold of the series the Cardinals had an early 1-0 lead in Game
4. However, the Red Sox powered by a three run home run by Jonny Gomes evened
the series with a 4-2 win. Game 5 would be the most important game of the series
with the final two games in Fenway Park. Once again Adam Wainwright gave up
an early run, though he would settle down the Cardinals ace would take his third
straight postseason loss as the Red Sox behind Jon Lester won the game 3-1.
Turning back to Michael Wacha, the Cardinals hoped their rookie sensation could
extend their season as they faced elimination in Game 6. However, this time it
was not meant to be as the Red Sox with at three run double by Shane Victorino
in the third inning took control of the game on the way to a 6-1 victory. Throughout
the series, the Cardinals could not solve David Ortiz who was named 2013
World Series MVP with two Home Runs, six RBI and an incredible .688 batting average
with a 1.948 OPS.
2014: After losing the World Series to the Boston Red Sox, the Cardinals underwent several
changes. Chris Carpenter a key ace for the Cardinals before being plagued by
injuries would announce his retirement. The Cardinals would not re-sign Carlos
Beltrán, Rafael Furcal, Edward Mujica, and Jake Westbrook. To replace Furcal,
the Cardinals signed Shortstop Jhonny Perralta. David Freese and relief pitcher
Fernando Salas were traded to the Los Angeles Angels for outfielders Peter Bourjos
and Randal Grichuk to replace Beltran. The Cardinals began the season with
a win as Adam Wainwright outdueled Johnny Cueto in 1-0 win over the Cincinnati
Reds. Wainwright had a strong April earning five wins in six starts, while allowing
just two runs. The Cardinals however, had a mediocre month posting a record
of 15-14. Among the Cardinals who disappointed early, was Kolten Wong, who
was handed starting job at 2B as one of the Redbirds top prospects. Wong was briefly
sent down to AAA Memphis, but returned in May and became the rookie of the
month in the National League. Wainwright continued to lead the Cardinals staff
in May, pitching his first career one hitter against the Arizona Diamondbacks
on May 20th. The Cardinals still did not breakout and remained behind the Milwaukee
Brewers in the National League Central. The Cardinals would be infected by
the injury bug in June Kolten Wong was shelved with a sore shoulder, the same
injury also sidelined postseason hero Michael Wacha. The Cardinals would also
lose Jamie Garcia to thoracic outlet syndrome, after he underwent season ending
surgery on July 5th. Just before the All-Star Break the Cardinals would lose Catcher
Yadier Molina to a thumb injury when he slid into third base against the
Pittsburgh Pirates on July 9th. Despite the injuries the Cardinals managed to
enter the All-Star break with a record of 52-44. Despite a rough August from Adam
Wainwright the Cardinals continued to battle the Milwaukee Brewers and Pittsburgh
Pirates for first place in the Central Division. To temporarily replace Yadier
Molina, the Cardinals acquired Catcher A. J. Pierzynski from the Boston Red
Sox. One player who also showed promise was highly touted prospect Oscar Taveras
who homered in his Major League Debut against the San Francisco Giants at
Busch Stadium on May 31st. As September began the Cardinals got healthy, Yadier
Molina returned to the lineup as Wainwright returned to his early season form
winning five games, while pitching to a 1.38 ERA to post a 20 win season. With
a 17-9 record the Cardinals would fly past the Brewers and win the Central Division
title for the second straight season, posting a record of 90-72.
2014 Postseason: The Cardinals would face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Division Series. Game 1 would
see a battle of 20 game winners, as Adam Wainwright opposed Clayton Kershaw
at Dodger Stadium. The Cardinals got to Kershaw early as Randal Grichuk homered
in the first inning. The Dodgers would comeback with two runs in the third,
fourth and fifth inning to take a 6-1 lead. Matt Carpenter would bring the Cardinals
slightly closer with a home run off Kershaw in the sixth inning. Kershaw
would suddenly unravel in the seventh as Carpenter cleared the bases to give the
Cardinals a 7-6 lead. The Cardinals would get some insurance, with Matt Holiday
lifting a three run homer off Pedro Baez, those runs turned out to be important
as the Dodgers struck back with a two run homer by Adrian Gonzalez. The Dodgers
would add another in the ninth inning, before Trevor Rosenthal finished the
game a 10-9 win for the Cardinals. In Game 2 Matt Carpenter again was the man
for the Cardinals hitting a two run homer in the eighth inning to even the score
2-2. However, Matt Kemp would answer with a home run for the Dodgers in the
bottom of the inning as the Dodgers evened the series with a 3-2 win. John Lackey
who shut down the Cardinals in the 2014 World Series and was picked up from
the Boston Red Sox in a deadline deal took the mound in Game 3 at Busch Stadium.
Lackey pitched well matching Hyun-jin Ryu allowing one run over six innings,
as Matt Carpenter homered in his third straight game. Lackey also held the
Dodgers off the board in the seventh inning, as Kolten Wong delivered a two run
homer in the bottom of the inning to win the game 3-1. Clayton Kershaw would
oppose the Cardinals again in Game 4, as the Dodgers held a 2-0 lead in the seventh
inning. Like Game 1, the Cardinals got to Clayton Kershaw without warning
as Matt Holliday and Johnny Peralta reached base on infield singles. Matt
Adams then stepped up and lifted a three run homer to give the Cardinals 3-2
lead, as they beat Clayton Kershaw for the fourth time in the postseason in two
years to reach the NLCS for the fourth straight year. The Cardinals would face
the San Francisco Giants in the NLCS, a battle of the last four National League
Champions. The opener would be a battle of two of the premiere pitchers in the
National League again, this time however, the Cardinals would be on the short
side of the stick as Madison Bumgarner outdueled Adam Wainwright for a 3-0 win.
The Cardinals and Giants would battle back and forth in Game 2, as the Cards
got homers from Matt Carpenter, Oscar Taveras and Matt Adams. However, they needed
another after Trevor Rosenthal was unable to hold a 4-3 lead in the ninth inning.
That blast would come from Kolten Wong who led off the bottom of the ninth
inning with a homer of Sergio Romo to win the game 5-4 to even the series. The
Giants battered Cardinals starter John Lackey for three runs in the first inning
of Game 3 at AT&T Park. The Cardinals would settle down and chip away at the
lead, tying the game 4-4 on Randal Grichuk's solo home run in the seventh inning.
However, the Redbirds would throw the game away when Randy Choate mishandled
a sacrifice bunt by Gregor Blanco allowing the Giants to score the winning
run. The Cardinals would jump out to a 4-1 lead in Game 4, but saw their bullpen
falter as the Giants scored three times in the sixth inning to win the game 6-4.
A rematch of Game 1, saw the Cardinals build a 3-2 lead against Madison Bumgarner
on homers by Matt Adams and Tony Cruz. However, after Adam Wainwright pitched
seven strong innings, the Cardinals bullpen faltered again as Matt Morse
tied the game with a pinch hit home run off Pat Nishek. The Cardinals had a chance
to regain the lead in the ninth inning, but Oscar Travares left the bases loaded
by bouncing back to pitcher Jeremy Affeldt. In the bottom of the inning,
Michael Wacha a walk and a hit to start the inning before Travis Ishikwa ended
the series with a three run homer. Following their 6-3 loss in Game 5 of the NLCS,
tragedy would strike the Cardinals ten days later as Oscar Taveras was killed
in a car accident along with his girlfriend in his native Dominican Republic.
It would later be learned that Taveras was driving while intoxicated.
2015: Over the last decade no team had been more consistently successful than the St. Louis
Cardinals who fell just short of another trip to the World Series losing to
the San Francisco Giants in the NLCS. No matter how much their roster changed,
the Cardinals remained one of the top teams in the National League year after
year, thanks to a terrific front office and farm system. This is why despite the
tragic death of Oscar Taveras the Cardinals remained a team with a wealth of
young talent. Early on it was clear the Cardinals were once again going to be
at the top of the National League Central, as an 8-3 start enabled them to lead
the division nearly wire-to-wire. That is not to say the Cardinals did not deal
with adversity as opening day starter Adam Wainwright suffered an Achilles injury
while running the bases on April; 25th that was expected to sideline him for
the remainder of the season, after posting a 2-1 record with a 1.44 ERA in his
first four starts. Despite the devastating news, the Cardinals were the best
team in baseball in April with a 15-6 record. Among the highlights a seven game
streak in which Matt Holiday doubled in every game, tying a franchise record.
May began with a three game sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates, with the Cardinals
winning each game in extra innings with a walk off hit. The Cardinals would end
the month with a record of 33-17, holding a six game lead. The Cardinal way
was to overcome major injuries, and when Adam Wainwright went down, Michael Wacha
rose up to take his place as the Cardinals most reliable starter as the Red
Birds won each of his first nine starts. Wacha, who himself struggled at times
in 2014, had a bounce back season, posting a team best 17 wins, while Carlos Martinez
had a breakout season, posting a record of 14-7 with an ERA of 3.01 as he
was named an All-Star for the first time in his career. By the end of June, the
Cardinals were well on pace for a 100-win season, as they won 17 of 24 games
and were by far the best team in baseball. Among the stories in June was the pitching
of Jaime Garcia who returned after missing nearly a year due to shoulder
surgery. Garcia, was solid as usual, posting a 10-6 record with an ERA
of 2.43 in 20 starts. The Cardinals did have to deal with some controversy as scouting
director Chris Correa after he had admitted to illegally accessing the
Houston Astros scouting database in 2013. Correa would be dismissed by the Cardinals
and later pled guilty in federal court to five counts of unauthorized access
to a protected computer. Six Cardinals would be selected to the All-Star Game
as they went into the break with a record of 56-33. Among those, were Closer
Trevor Rosenthal who had team record 48 saves, highlighted by a two-month scoreless
inning streak. The Cardinals first place lead was cut into just before the
break as they lost three of four games to the Pirates at PNC Park, The Cardinals
would battle the Pirates and Chicago Cubs throughout the second half, as they
never were able to pull away. The Cardinals remained the best team in baseball
throughout the season, as the Pirates and Cubs had baseball's second and third
best overall marks. The Cardinals would go on to finish the season with a record
of 100-62, reaching the century mark in wins for the first time in a decade.
As the season came to a close the Cardinals got an unexpected boost, when Adam
Wainwright returned and pitched out of the bullpen after being expected to miss
the rest of the season.
2015 NLDS: In the Division Series the Cardinals would face their longtime rival Chicago Cubs
for the first time in the postseason. John Lackey got the start for the Cardinals
and dominated Game 1, as he did not allow a hit through the first six innings.
The Cardinals would take the opener 4-0 at Busch Stadium as Thomas Pham and
Stephen Piscotty homered in the eighth inning to break the game open. After taking
an early lead in Game 2, Jaime Garcia's throwing error in the second inning
opened the flood gates as the Cubs scored five times on the way to winning the
game 6-3. As the series shifted to Wrigley Field the Cardinals had Michael Wacha
on the mound against Jake Arrieta who was coming off the best second half in
the history of baseball. However, neither pitcher was sharp, as the two teams
combined for a single game playoff record eight home runs. Unfortunately for the
Cardinals the Cubs would have six of the eight balls that left the yard to win
the game 8-6. Needing a win to avoid elimination the Cardinals broke in front
early as Stephen Piscotty hit a two run home run in the first inning. However,
once again the second inning would be the Red Birds waterloo as the Cubs scored
four times, bring their total runs scored in the second frame to 10 over the
final three games of the series. The Cubs would go on to win the game 6-4 as Kyle
Schwarber's blast off Kevin Siegrist in the sixth inning that landed on the
Cubs video board proved to be the difference and advanced to the NLCS.